K04C, Hoi Kit Lo ‘02, Yukio Muramatsu, Neighbor, 1928, Ehime, Yokohama: Naka-ku
I wanted to interview my grandparents, but they live in China. I thought that I wouldn’t learn much from them during a phone conversation, so I decided to interview someone in Japan. Since I live in a large residential building, there are a variety of people living in the same building. I live in # 601, and I knew that an old couple live in # 603. If I could interview one of them, I could learn about my neighbor. I rang the bell one day and asked if I could interview him for my assignment. At first, he didn’t understand what I was trying to do. But after I explained that this was for my schoolwork, he agreed. On the next day, November 9, 2000, I interviewed him at night in his apartment.
Q: What is your name and age? How old were you when the Second World War began?
A: My name is Yukio Muramatsu. My wife’s name is Toshiko Muramatsu. I am now 72 years old. The war started when I was 13 years old.
Q: What was your life like before the war began?
A: I used to live in Ehime prefecture. I moved to Yokohama around 1964. I lived with my grandparents, parents, and a younger brother and sister. My mother is Korean, so I am half-Korean. I had an older brother, but he was a soldier in the northern part of Korea, when it was a Japanese colony. He went to Korea when I was still six years old. Since then I have never met him again. Our family lost his address during the war, so we have no way to contact him. I don’t even know if he is still alive or not.
My family were all farmers. We had a little farm of our own. Every member of the family worked on the fields. We weren’t rich, but it was a very peaceful life.
Q: Were there any changes in Japan after the war began?
A: The first two changes that come to mind are about education and food. I was a teenager during that time, and I was going to high school. After the war broke out, all students had a military education. We were taught only military subjects. They taught us that we should fight for the Emperor until our death. We should be proud of our country. I don’t really remember any other subjects that I learned at that time.
Another change in Japan was that food production needed to increase. My family were farmers, so we had to grow more crops than usual. The government told the whole of Japan to grow more food for food supply.
Q: What did you dislike most during the war?
A: I was a student, and I wanted to study. But because of the war, a greater food supply was needed. As a result, I had to work on the farm. This decreased my time to study. I wanted to study a lot, because my dream was to become a doctor. I was going to study hard during high school. I was planning to go to Tōkyō once I finished high school. My dream didn’t come true because of this war.
Q: Do you hate this war? What were your reactions after the war ended?
A: No, I don’t have any strong hatred of this war. When it ended, I felt safe, because I knew that there wouldn’t be any more air raids.The air raids were one of the scariest things in the war. When there was one, the siren would ring, and everyone panicked and ran to a shelter. The one that I escaped into was like a cave. This cave wasn’t very big. Only 50 people were able to fit into it. It was scary being in the cave, because I could hear the bombings outside. I was worried that bombs would drop on top of us. After the war ended, I knew that I wouldn’ t have to hide in a cave anymore, so I was relieved.
Q: What was Japan like after the war?
A: Japan was in ruins after the war. When I walked around, all I saw was the sight of a country that had lost in a war. Most places were in ruins from the air raids. The food and material supplies were short. There wasn’t enough food for everyone. Materials were scarce, and the products were very expensive even if we found them.
Q: How did Japan change after the war, up until now?
A: I think Japan has become a very peaceful country now, compared to the time when the war had just ended. The crime rate is low, and Japan is quite safe even for the elderly and children. Another change that occurred was that Japan became a democratic country. During the war, Japan was a military country, with the Emperor as the dictator. But now, Japan is ruled by representatives whom citizens voted for democratically.